Taint
by Cass Renee
Summary: Bella's life takes a turn that leaves her tainted and thirsty for revenge. When she crosses paths with a family of vegetarian vampires, she begins to question what will truly bring her peace. Will her reluctance to fall for a man who is determined to save her lessen? Or will a man who is determined to lose himself with her ultimately be her saving grace?
1. one

A/N: Hello! This is my first story here on Fanfiction, so please be gentle with me. Any suggestions and critique is welcome! This story will be slightly darker than usual, but I hope you enjoy it none the less. As more becomes revealed I would love your opinions on the fate of the characters. Don't forget to review, lovelies. And forgive me in advance for any grammar and spelling mistakes...(anyone want to volunteer to edit? *bats eyelashes*). Anyways, onto the story! Short chapter but will pick up soon enough!

Disclaimer: Any recognizable content is property of Stephanie Meyer or their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. I couldn't afford a law suit anyways.

* * *

It was easy to lure me away from friends. I suppose I was the picture of solitude; sitting alone at the bar, drink in hand, watching Angela and Jessica work the dance floor. I couldn't bring up the courage to join them, too afraid that my feet would somehow fail me and I'd end up sprawled across the floor. But looking back on it I would have rather that than what happened over the next three days.

I saw him towards the back of the club, his skin seemed to give off a faint glow and I cocked my head quizzically in his direction. He smirked, one side of his mouth pulling up as he tipped his head in my direction, bidding me to make my way over to him. I stood up in a hurry, my feet moving of their own accord as I wove my way through the slick, sweaty bodies of the crowd. The pounding of the music echoed the pounding in my heart; I didn't understand what was compelling me to move towards the stranger. _Beautiful stranger. _I shuddered. _Dark, beautiful stranger._ Maybe it was my rebellious side struggling to break through, some deep seeded need to do something spontaneous for once in my life. Something spontaneous that involved the man clad in black who was now slipping through the back door.

I sped up, bumping into Angela and sending her staggering into Jessica. They both giggled in an alcohol induced haze and shot me a questioning look. I smiled and waved them away, not having to work too hard at getting them to divert their attention elsewhere. I continued on until I was face to face with the metal door and face to face with a decision that made my stomach turn. My head was screaming at me to stop, to turn around, to run as fast as I could but, try as I might, I couldn't bring myself to leave. Instead I gave it a hard shove and stumbled into the back alley, tripping over my too high heels. He caught me then, hands cradling my elbows and his body pressed into mine.

"Well hello," he slurred, flashing me another quick smile with perfect teeth.

"Hi," I stammered, pulling myself out of his embrace and staring up at him. I took inventory; blonde, angular cheek bones, sweet, intoxication smell. His eyes raked over my body and I was suddenly very aware of the clothes I was wearing – or lack thereof. Jessica had forced me into a little white mini skirt and black crop top, my stomach and legs exposed in the chilly Seattle air. I shifted uncomfortably, taking a step back only to find myself leaning against a brick wall.

"Such a pretty blush," he whispered closing the distance between us in one large stride and running his index finger over the curve of my cheekbone. My chest flared with heat and my mouth ran dry, the previously sweet smell turning sour very quickly. Like rotting meat covered up with the scent of flowers.

"This was a mistake," I told him, trying to angle my body away from his but he reached out to grab my shoulder in an iron grip. His hand was cold, sending a shiver down my spine and any compelling feelings I had dissolved into a sick, profound feeling of dread.

I wrenched sideways attempting to free myself, shoving the palm of my hand into his sternum. It was met with muscles that had the give of granite. He was twice my size and unnaturally strong and when I felt his hands running a path up and down my legs and over my hips, my stomach churned.

"But, darling, we're just getting started," he breathed against my cheek, his lips brushing my skin. "You smell so sweet. I didn't think you would smell this sweet."

"I'll scream," I threatened weakly. "I have friends waiting for me and they'll notice I'm gone. I swear to God I'll scream."

He laughed, hollow and throaty. "Go ahead, scream, sweetheart. They won't hear you. Plus, I like a little bit of struggle in my women."

His fingers dipped under the hem of my skirt and I yelped, tears burning hot as they spilled over onto my cheeks. "Please, don't. Please. My father is a cop, please."

"Trust me, darling, none of that matters, there won't be anything left of you to find," he snarled at me. His hands become more brazen and I could feel him fingering the edge of my panties as I flailed my arms wildly against him. I let out a blood curling scream, hoping someone would hear me over the thumping music. I pulled and tugged entirely in vain as one of his hands became a vice grip and the other became my terrible undoing. It was after the first touch that my mind went black, my conscience sinking into the deep recesses of my mind as he left the tainted tracks of his intent all over my bare skin.

And then the most peculiar thing happened; after the touches stopped, the bite came. Right at the junction between my neck and collar bone, I felt his teeth rip through skin and sinew and slowly drag the contents of my veins into his mouth. I don't recall when it stopped, I don't recall the struggle or the fight; just the deep set sense of resignation as my life was being drained from my body. I fell limp in his arms, weak and part of me registered being lifted into iron arms and whisked away from the dark alley. I was dumped unceremoniously in a place with four walls, left to die a lonely and welcome death. But the peace of death was ripped away from me when the stirrings of fire ignited in my very bones and nothing but my own screams could be heard for miles around.

* * *

Somewhere deep in the woods, in a sleepy little town, a tiny woman sat pensive staring out a window. Her thin hands tugged at her shoulder length hair only to be stilled by another's.

"What's wrong? I can feel the despair rolling off you in waves," the man said, concern etched upon his face. The woman smiled and shook her head, happiness enveloping her once again.

"Nothing, Jasper. Don't worry about it, okay?" she reassured him. He gave her a tight lipped smile and back peddled out the door, leaving the woman to turn back and continue her vigil by the window.

"Everything is about to change."


	2. two

A/N: Thank you for the two lovely reviews, and I promise all will slowly be revealed! This chapter is held in the future and some more information becomes available for you all to dissect! Thank you for the views and favorites and alerts, I truly appreciate it. Please, let me know what you all think *kisses* enjoy!

Disclaimer: Please see chapter one.

* * *

It would've been cold, if I could feel it. The ground was slick with rain and the street lights flickered lazily in the dark. I press back against the brick wall and watch as a beat up SUV rolls slowly down the street and then come to an abrupt halt. I smile. They always stop. I hike up my skirt and adjust my bra, making a show of stumbling over to the car. Make them think they have the upper hand and they almost make it too fucking easy. I sway over to the passenger side and lean against the door, my breasts spilling over the top of my low cut shirt. I can feel him leering at me. _Disgusting. _

The man who rolls down the window looks to be in his forties, probably on his way home from some dead end job and judging by this decrepit alley he was driving through, he was looking for a good time. The ring on his left hand glints in the faint light and he catches my eye then, laughing nervously before reaching to slip it off. "Don't," I say, my voice overly husky. "I like it better when it's on."

His hands snap back to clutch at the wheel and I can feel the lust rolling off of him in palpable waves. His pupils dilate and his breathing hitches, a tent already growing in his pants and I almost start to feel bad for what I was about to do. _Almost. _

"How much?" he asks me, eying my ample cleavage. I pull open the car door and slide into the seat, sitting with my legs open and my hands on my inner thighs, lightly caressing them back and forth. I don't need extraordinary senses to hear his gulp over the hum of the engine.

"However much you can afford," I whisper, letting my breath wash over his tired face. He nods and peels out of the alley, driving towards the freeway, his foot heavy on the gas pedal. He eases up after merging off the ramp and lets one hand roam over to rest on my leg, sliding it up and down the curve of my hip. Every touch reminds me of nights long past, reminding me that fundamentally some men have weak minds and are easily persuaded. I wonder if he pictures me as daughter, or a sister, maybe even a mother. More than likely I was just a means to an end, a quick potential fuck.

"So what's your name, baby?" he rasps, fingers travelling across my skin and dipping into the V between my thighs.

"Bella," I tell him. "My name is Bella."

"Bella, Bella, Bella…" he chimes, a chuckle escaping his thin lips. "Pretty name for a pretty girl."

"You think?" I drawl. He nods eagerly, fingers curling against my pale skin in his sad attempt to leave his mark on me. "So what's your name then?"

"Sam," he supplies, complying to my question without hesitation. He seems shocked with himself; shocked that he let his name slip.

"And tell me, Sam, does your wife know where you are?" I ask, fixing him with my steely gaze. I can see the vein in his temple pulsing, the answer straining against the confines of his lips.

"No," he admits. "She thinks I'm staying over at the office tonight."

"Ah, I see. Now tell me, what's her name?"

His eyes bulge and he presses his lips tightly together. "It doesn't – what does it matter?"

"Don't make me ask again, Sam. I can be a very persuasive woman," I implore, my tone low and dangerous. Knuckles white on the steering wheel, he tears his hand away from between my thighs as if I had just burned him.

"Emily," he says, when the compulsion becomes too strong to ignore and I blink slowly in his direction.

"Emily, what a sweet name," I coo. "She sounds like a lovely wife. Is she a lovely wife, Sam?"

"I'm not attracted to her," he admits with a groan. "Not since the accident. I can't bear to look at her face."

I laugh, deep and throaty. "Is that why you come out here? To fuck pretty young girls like me while your wife sits at home waiting for you?"

"Yes," he all but screams. "What the fuck are you? I can't lie – what the fuck are you doing to me?"

I lean over and lick the shell of his ear, the car jerking as I drag my tongue across his flesh. "Nothing that you don't deserve, Sam," I hiss. "What else, _baby_? What else does sweet Emily not know?"

And despite the fact that he grits his teeth, the truth slips out, just like it always does. "I'm having an affair with her cousin Leah. Jesus, I can't believe – she's barely eighteen, practically jailbait. Oh, God, please stop this – she has such a sweet mouth, she lets me fuck her hard. You fucking bitch, what are you doing to me?"

I whip out to grip his wrist, squeezing so tightly that the bone snaps like a twig underneath my fingers. He cries out, the car swerves, but I hold it steady with my free hand. Sam lies back and whimpers, sobs racking his large frame and in his pain he whispers a prayer over and over. But not even God can save him now. "You're worthless, Sam. They'll both be better off without you in their lives. I just hope they don't spend too much time mourning your pathetic ass."

"Are you going to kill me?" he whines. "Please, don't. I'll confess; I'll go back to my wife. Just please –"

"Save it, you've made your choice. And I've made mine."

I spin the steering wheel sharply, sending the car careening into a ditch, twisting in midair. Sam screams, guttural sounds coming from deep within his chest as he looks at me with malice in his eyes. All I do is sneer. When the roof of the car hits the ground I know he is close to dying, death mercifully swift. I can hear his weak heart struggling to pump blood to the rest of his body. I wait with him until the sound stops and I wait until his lips turn blue and I wait until I hear the distant sounds of sirens. I place my lips to his and suck, the blood pooled in his mouth sweet on my tongue, laced with the taste of fear and adrenaline. I sigh, content, before I climb out through the broken windshield.

My clothes are dirty and my hair is a fucking mess but I look at the carnage and a sense of satisfaction creeps into the pit of my stomach. I wipe my mouth, relishing the after taste, disappearing into the night as the first police officers arrive on the scene.

* * *

The room is quiet around the three men, all sitting stoically at a round table, even the air around them stale and stagnant.

"Caius. Marcus," one of the men greets. They both nod in response. "I suppose you're both well aware as to why we must meet."

"Yes," Marcus replies. "Felix divulged the details of this…unfortunate situation."

"Unfortunate indeed," agreed Caius solemnly.

"However, she has merit. She is quick, efficient. Never leaves a trace. She's killed forty two in the span of six years. All in the same violent way; there is little to be desired about her tact, but her sheer power? Marvelous. Simply marvelous," Aro claims, his voice reverent and yearning.

"Power is hardly a reason to get worked up over a young female vampire, Aro," chides Marcus, his cold fingers coming up to rub his temples.

"Such little faith, my brothers. Such little faith. Not brute force, but true power of the mind. Apparently the lovely dear holds the power of compulsion."

The other two perk up.

"Now this, is something worth investigating," purrs Marcus.

Their smiles stretch over their faces, splitting the stone visage they held so carefully.


End file.
